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[Dorian]

Dorian chuckled at Officer Lih's comment. It was rather energetic from the man who was so somber before. Dorian shook his head. "No the sneaky-attacks should only come at those who are traitors and gods. Of which you are neither." Dorian assumed and was fairly sure he was correct in his assessment, but you never knew for sure. He didn't even know his son was a god...

Dorian added to his prior words. "The Atharim are hunting me because I turned against them. They don't yet know about my son, and they are hunting Nox because Nox is a god and thus a traitor. Even though he lives and dies by their creed - our creed." Dorian sighed. It was odd saying it outloud in normal company.

Dorian pulled into the driveway of the estate. The new ten foot rock walls were still hard to get used to. But knowing they hadn't been there mere weeks before was just amazing for Dorian. Nox and Cruz had erected them in no time flat. Lessons Nox claimed as Cruz would fail to build it right and have to start over. The same with the traps laid out across the law that Dorian couldn't see. But even Nova knew to stay away from them. And that new dog. How was Dorian's house becoming a refuge for so many 'misfits' himself included.

Dorian opened the door and stepped out on to the concrete. "Remember stay off the grass."

Inside the door Christian's gun sat on top of the table instead of inside the drawer it used to hide. There were no children and Nox was instant everyone including Ana knew how to use it. Thankfully everyone did before the boy started pushing safety. Dorian tapped in the code to re trigger the alarms so that Sage wouldn't have a hissy fit when he decided to come upstairs. The security had since been beefed up since Dorian let someone hack into the boys network. He was building some sort of room in one of the upstairs rooms. Dorian didn't ask beyond 'do i have to pay for it.' When the answer was no, he gave Sage permission to do whatever he wanted. It wasn't like it was being used for anything anyway.

Dorian lead Lih into the study. Ana and Aiden were having a fun time decorating the house. It was almost annoying... but the house was at least presentable in the downstairs now. The study was full of books, and an old leather furniture that looked old but were not - and they were comfortable as Dorian raised the hidden bar. "A drink?" Dorian wondered if Nox or Christian were home to prepare anything to eat... he'd have to text them to see.

[Lih]

Lih prepared himself.

He was ready, utterly terrified of embarrassment, failure and reaction, but ready. His mind had been drawing weapons on terrible thoughts on that subject all this time. How would this Nox or Dorian’s son feel about seeing him, would Lih set off these traps, would Dorian be angry if Lih ran away, these three questions especially were too frightened to step into the building.

Had the dog not seen him he would have fled; he was in the process of doing so when he was caught. He thought he had been afraid earlier; now his body was in full flight defense mode and he trembled as they came closer. The landscape ahead, split by outcrops of granite and a quartz-y rock, looked like wet hair. Through it, the towering figure of the Vega estate could be seen.

He knew he was trembling, knew he shouldn’t be, but… Dorian had looked so amused, calm about the Atharim hunting traitors and gods like Nox that Lih was quietly astonished. He could never have believed he would hear such encouraging words from one of the senior detectives, especially a former Atharim.

“…”

Words failed him. Completely paralyzed he couldn’t smile or laugh or even grimace. There was so much he wanted to say, to apologize, to plead forgiveness for crying; to say how glad he was to have met Dorian and how Lih gave his best but haven’t got the balls; he couldn’t get up and get used to killing; especially the last. But no, his body betrayed him and he stood frozen looking as Dorian played with the alarm settings.

Then Lih saw the damn gun on the table and his heart stopped. He almost tripped over his own stupid feet. But Lih caught himself and glanced around. This place was rich, bright like a star in the darkness, painfully bright to his straining eye-sight.

He followed Dorian, uncertainly.

That wasn’t going to fly, no sirs and mademoiselles, not an inch on the hardwood floor of the Vega estate… Things would come, evolve, but it would take time, and it certainly wouldn’t be forced.

Dorian was on his feet and helped himself to a glass of Saint-Emilion grand cru. He offered a drink to Lih.

“Oh, yes. Wine, please!” Breathlessly. Desperately.

He realized his hands were shaking and he was slopping red wine out of the glass. He set it down and sucked the drops off the ball of his thumb.

The wine tasted better than he imagined, and his body was warmed. He remembered the last time he drank with Costa, remembered the spark that had flashed through his blood and pleasurable sense of rightness. Lih became so giddy he’d swayed and would have fallen if it weren’t for his partner’s embrace.

He missed Costa. Didn’t know why Costa leaving was so hard this time. They weren’t partners anymore, not here. He must come around the idea that the future of both their careers lies with the domovoi--not with each other. New duties await them, new challenges... That was fair, but admittedly it stung a little. He’d deliberately not thought about that too-painful feeling for some time.

There was a sudden bang. The dull thump of it echoed through the study, and made distant voices bark.

“Did something explode?” asked Lih brightly.

Vitya Lih

[Dorian]

Dorian poured two glasses of Saint-Emilion grand cru one of the varied French wines Christian kept on hand. And one Dorian would have to be careful around as Christian likely wasn't pouring his drinks. He wondered where he and Ana were. Or Cruz for that matter. Guests were not always something they had - specially not with Nox and Sage's vigilance in keeping the Atharim at bay. Neither of the boys straying far from their tasks. Though Dorian was happy that Sage was well again, even if he was worse than Nox bringing in more strays. His house was becoming a refuge for the power challenged individuals. Not that Nox wasn't a good teacher - though from what he saw he was nothing but destruction without a leash. Dorian was glad he was on his side instead of the Atharim's.

Dorian sat down and but the house shook and Cruz and Christian came out of their hiding places. Christian was at the front door as Dorian stood up to peer out the open window. Nothing looked to be a miss out front. But Christian still grabbed the gun and opened the door slowly. Cruz on the other hand was already outside. A fireball slung low in his hands as he ran. Jumping over nothing in particular as he made the rounds looking for the perpetrator.

They'd learned early to keep the trip wires high enough so that squirrels or other furry critters couldn't trip them. But high low enough a human couldn't crawl underneath them. Which meant that Nova had set off the traps several times before the pup became aware of the boundaries Nox and Cruz had set. The new dog, was still learning.

The back of the estates on this side of the street backed up to a forest, one of the neighbors was a naturalist activist and had the city protect the area for miles. It gave way to plenty of other types of animals. It would surprise Dorian if something else had taken a wander into the traps. Cruz was making his way around the side of the house. Dorian motioned Lih to join him. "It seems we might have visitors"

Dorian walked back through the hall entrance and into the kitchen. He didn't find any food waiting, and wondered when food might magically appear. No one ever ate at the same time, but there always seemed to be food around. The entrance to the basement was dark as Dorian walked past it through to the dinning area to the double frech doors that lead into the back yard and more importantly the pool. The outside space was elegant and unused most of the year, but Nox had cleaned it up as he'd lain traps. He said it was so he could practice but it was more for the wood burning oven and grill that sat to the left of the pool that he used most often. And the pool of course - even in the dead of winter he'd use it Dorian assumed, it was always perfectly warm when Nox was here. An interesting person to have around.

Dorian couldn't believe his eyes when he walked out into the back patio...

[[ leaving it here cause I'm poking @"Siobhan West" to see if she'd like to poke a new wolf in or not ]]

[Lih]

Lih’s mouth sagged as he attempted to reconcile the guy at the door raising then aiming the gun; the other guy walked the length of the lawn while playing with fire—fire!--in his hands; and Dorian’s words into one cohesive statement. It did not work. One did not simply ‘have’ visitors. One may as well slap a bull between the eyes or put a rattlesnake down one’s fatigue trousers. There were certain possibilities that the rookie’s mind were incapable of acknowledging; this was one of them; his mind almost bucked with the strain.

No, no; no-no-no visitors. It’d be one thing if the house was old, and full of noises. But, Dorian clearly got used to visitors. Was it because of the guy with the fire— was he a ‘god’ who the Atharim hunted?

Inexplicably his body began to ache and his stomach gurgled—it remembered the rougarou fight. His dealings with the cannibals hadn’t ended well, or remotely close to well. His shoulder throbbed. He checked just to make sure his auto-pistol was in place; what if they were being attacked, what if things even worse than monsters were out there… ? Lih’s mind retreated into the far recess of his skull and began rocking back and forth.

Lih walked out of the study faster than he had entered, cursing as he did so. In his haste to follow Dorian, he forgot his wine, but that mattered less than not being anywhere within this house when the visitors come knocking. He ran down the hall and out... onto the back patio.

Chains rocked and swung.

“Um, just the dog!” Lih gave a humorless laugh, his face fell, and his eyes darted in every direction at once (or tried to) and his voice took on a fearful tone. "...he's not moving?"

Then Lih gazed at something other than Nova the dog with his bulging, watering eyes; his skinny face comically honest…

Vitya Lih

[Siobhan West]

The forest was quiet save for the panting breaths coming from Siobhan West and her faithful wolf, Ebony. It had taken the better part of two days to make it down to Moscow from Suzdal, a car drive would’ve seen them finish the journey in a few hours, but Siobhan took every excuse she could to roam the wilds. Ebony was thankful for that bit. The she-wolf didn’t mind hanging around humans and their technology, but she grew restless when confined. Siobhan had made her put up with a world tour, which had just ended last night, so forsaking a vehicle was the least she could do.

                You’re sure this is the right way? Ebony said to Siobhan in that strange telepathic voice of hers.

                “My wallet says the estate should be just beyond the edge of this forest… What a nice day, though, huh?” Siobhan answered back.

                Nice…? We could be chasing rabbits and filling my gut! Instead, we are looking for Aiden… Let him come to you, dearie…

                “You know I need to speak with him, Eb. The man is impossible to get a hold of.  I promise you can hunt all you want once we get to this mansion place.”

                Ebony was silent.

                The pair kept a brisk pace through the woods. Siobhan really did miss this. Singing was all good and well, but it didn’t compare to the sun on your face and the dirt between your toes. No matter what her manager wanted, she would definitely be taking the next six months off to enjoy all of this. She had a purpose to fulfill out here anyway… She just wasn’t sure what it was yet.

                Trees parted just beyond the two females and a large cement wall to the heavens above. Ebony looked to Siobhan with a questioning air. The wolf couldn’t emote as a human could, but Siobhan understood her perfectly.

                “We’re going over,” Siobhan said simply.

                Doesn’t your kind usually use gates and doors?

                “That’s for suckers, Eb. Besides, maybe we can peak in a window or two before bursting in on Aiden. I’m curious as to who he’s spending so much time with… Dimitri said he’s been hiding out for the last year or two, who’s special enough to chase Aiden out of his depression?”

                Fair enough… Ebony said as she cleared the wall in a graceful arc. Siobhan had to take a running start to gain height. She didn’t get over it easily, having to scramble over the last few feet with sheer determination. As she pushed over the wall, a loud explosion sounded just off to Siobhan’s left. All the world seemed to shake, colors flooding Siobhan’s vision as she crashed to the ground. A second blast erupted as her back slammed against the green grass.

                Everything went black.

[Lih]

Nothing stirred.

If you were to compile a list of the top ten—in no particular order—things not to do, then hopping a wall and interrupting a series of invisible pressure switches would be somewhere around the middle, which says it all, really. The first thing you would notice about your charge up this wall is how high and unwelcoming it is and perhaps it’s a very Good Idea to call instead at the front door. If you are particularly persistent and this deterrent fails then the booby traps will no doubt express their displeasure by igniting, blowing, and generally having a blast.

Not that Lih particularly felt like glaring, yelling, or having a blast, a thing that used to have its own special slot in his busy schedule. He was too tired, now. Were he not so tired he’d definitely have given her what for… or at least thought about it. Right now he was unable to defend himself from any real menace. If Lih’s father saw his physical condition right now, he’d make Lih work the ropes along the ship. That’s just the kind of man he was.

“Oh f-," Lih began. He tried to sound strong, but his words wilted as they came out. His guts were like ice. “sir, I know her."

He reset his lens and locked onto the point it was tagging.

Siobhan and the wolf were simply concussed. The hidden charges had blown. The force of the detonation instantly shredded the entire length of the back patio deck into broken particles. Small flakes of rusty metal trickled down from overhead, no bigger than a rose petal, landed on the wolf's nose.

Lih reached one of his pale, trembling hands over toward the fallen pair. He’d read about this in books. The hero, on the very brink of being tossed out of his heroic order would do something, well, heroic and earn himself… pretty ladies, mostly. The books didn’t say what happened after.

Still, it was easier said than done.

He grimaced. The albino cop stopped moving toward Siobhan, and looked at Dorian. “Are there any other wires?"

Vitya Lih

[Cruz]

One detetonation went off in the back. Nox was no where around. He had to go fix it at the very least - better not be a fucking squirrel or Lasher again. At least Nova had learned. Now they had to do it all over again.

Cruz growled as he rounded the corner of the house after jumping one last hurtle of wires before he saw what had tripped the flashbangs. He wasn't going to be able to rearm them, his flashbangs always ended in a bang before he latched the trip wires to it. Nox wasn't going to be happy. But lying stunned on the ground was a rockstar and her wolf. Christian was coming back through the house and he was grabbing a pale man by the shoulder. "Stop moving." Cruz was the only one here who could see the wires. He heard his father say the same thing. "Many many more." The yard was literally covered in them. It took hours to rearm and refresh them if someone set off a chain reaction. At least they knew it all worked.

Cruz worked his way over the invisible to everyone else wires and knelt down next to the woman. "You alright?" What the fuck was a rockstar doing in his back yard.... And then he remembered who else was living with them. Nox sure made friends in all the wrong places. "You really shouldn't be climbing over ten foot walls." Cruz sighed. "And unless you want your ears to be ringing for the next few hours, you and your wolves, don't let her move until I can clear a path." Which Cruz had no intention of doing until he found out why she was here. Anyone could be Atharim. And it was actually pretty stupid to get this close to someone knowing that. But the gun Christian held was still trained on the woman. The wolf, his father had covered. Probably the wises decision since he was faster than Christian in that regard. Nox was so gonna be pissed.

[Siobhan West]

Ebony was the first one up, she roused onto her hind legs and shook her muzzle about. The wolf looked at the tall human male and bared her teeth at the sight of a gun. She sat there for a moment, staring the human in the eyes before moving to Siobhan, nudging her with a paw.

                Wake up, Siobhan. We just stumbled upon a den of vipers. Ebony spoke to Siobhan’s mind.

                With a gasp, Siobhan woke from her unwelcomed slumber. The world spun as she sat up, arms pushing up from behind. A man was standing over her asking questions.

                “Wha-?” Siobhan began before she saw two guns pointed at her and Ebony.

                Vipers, I say, Siobhan. Ebony said as she gave a low growl.

                Siobhan’s vision cleared and she brought a hand up to her temple, massaging at the new pain that was throbbing in her skull. Hopefully, this wasn’t a concussion. She had had enough of those in her life… A hospital visit would only earn admonishment from Ebony in the end. No. This had better just be a bump to the head or something mundane.

                Looking at the tall, handsome stranger, Siobhan plastered on a cheeky smile, “Oh, hey there, cutie! Don’t mind Ebony, she’s all bark.”

                Ebony turned her growl to Siobhan, who ignored it with a flip of her blonde hair.

                “I’m looking for Aiden Finnegan, his assistant told me I could find him here… Mind lowering that thing? I feel like I’m back in New York with all these pistols in my face… Oh, and what the fuck was that big flash? You got mines buried back here?”

[Lih]

In the pale light of Dorian’s back patio, Lih shuddered.

He was still reeling from the great trauma that had afflicted Siobhan and the wolf. His body was in spasm.

“Stop moving,” said the brown-haired man quietly, laying a hand on Lih’s shoulder.

Lih was getting strong enough, though. He could feel it. His arms were hardening just that wee bit that no one picked up on without using the tone of voice that states clearly they’ve agreed with him only to get away, because they feared for whatever happened to be on their plate at the time, or simply to humor the thin, pale man who went about saying stuff about his feelings with distressed watery eyes.

He heard the rising echo of Dorian’s words as the other man—the god with fire!—climbed out around the many, many wires Lih couldn’t see; the debris; he calmly checked Siobhan and the fallen wolf. The din faded, and the quiet of the Vega estate re-established itself.

Where he was, the brown-haired man suddenly raised his gun and aimed it at Siobhan; Dorian’s gun was sweeping the wolf.

There was a long pause; the wolf woke up first, then she nudged Siobhan awake, growling.

He turned his head to see what the blonde rockstar, his idol— not that Siobhan needed to know—was looking at in particular as she was helped up.

“I didn’t mean to intrude—“

Lih cleared his throat, and walked slowly back—carefully retracing his steps into the Vega estate.

He wanted to say goodbye to Dorian before he left, it was only polite; but he didn’t want to jeopardize his retreat by making a fuss. Dorian and the others were busy finding out what Siobhan and a bloody big wolf was doing at their home.

His voice trailed off… as the upbeat ringtone coming from his wallet chimed.

“… we are the sisters of the moon..."

Lih cringed.

The blush spanned from the tip of his white hair to the well polished nail of his biggest toe, not to mention everywhere in between and Lih hadn’t even known that was possible. It was very little surprise that he was content to melt into the ground forever—which seemed like no time at all—as he rejected the call.

His wallet rang again. Same chorus. Silver Skans.

Clearly rejecting the call was unsuccessful and so he opted for a small whine of frustration and a pout and picked up.

Silence, then, “I could have killed you. I should have killed you. Now’s not a good time.” Click.

He stared, red-faced, into the expression of Siobhan, the woman whose hit-single it was.

Vitya Lih

[Yun Kao]

The Syndicate was home, Yun had taken care of him when things got low. It was nothing to sit in a car and watch for anything. He'd been given access to the camera feeds and watched as a woman scaled the wall and then there was a flash and the then everyone was outside. Gaspar was out of the car and heading into the gates when the second one went off.

He started at a sprint through the driveway and then into the grass and the next thing he knew he was cradling his head and blinded and the world spun as he flew backwards...